2099 World of Tomorrow #8

Background

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up... There's a big alien space ship in orbit that is doing really bad things to earth's environment, such as melting the polar ice caps and causing the sea level to rise so much there's no inhabitable space except for the Savage Land at the South Pole. An assortment of superheroes and average joes have assembled there and are trying to rebuild civilization.

Story 'The Quiet Earth'

Victor Ten Eagles and Xian are standing on an outcropping and striking dramatic poses while they watch the humans and mutant inhabitants of the Last Refuge building a new headquarters after finally learning how to cooperate with each other. A fly in the ointment of this idyllic scene walks up in the form of Morphine Summers, who is still insisting that mutants and humans can never live together despite the rather obvious contradiction staring him in the face. He threatens Xian, as usual, then tells Victor Ten Eagles that this honeymoon period won't last long, then calmly walks away. (He's missing is signature cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth, so maybe he's just cranky because he's having nicotine fit.)

The rest of the X-Crew are playing at construction workers now that the immediate threat of the Phalanx is over. La Lunatica accidentally drops a steel girder on Hodge while Morphine Summer looks on from the bushes and ponders trying to turn her to his side. Speaking of stalking, after Hodge leaps out from under the girder he walks off and ends up sneaking up on Jade Ryuteki who is busy doing tech stuff in the middle of the woods. He thanks her for saving his life last issue, while his internal monologue hints that there's more going on with this guy than was initially let on. Elsewhere, Willow transforms herself into her old friend Uproar and uses his growth powers to help lift up building materials to her friend Bloodhawk.

Which, sigh... segues into the real Uproar and Wulff who are still drifting on the ocean somewhere. Wulff complains about being covered in wet fur and Uproar complains about not being rescued.

Back in Latveria, which now has some pretty oceanside property, Spidey and Xina are doing some rebuilding of their own. Miguel is still feeling guilty about almost killing Nostromo last issue (now it's finally beginning to feel like a real Spider-Man comic). Xina has had quite a change of heart about Doom. She conveniently uncovers his mask and gloves along with a strange round medallion - all that's left of the Latverian monarch after his heroic last stand against the Magus. She sighs dramatically and says, “Oh, Victor... I've never known anyone so brave.” (How does Spidey lose out to a dead man in the contest over the affection of his ex-girlfriend?) She is then is approached by some of Doom's goons (possibly his Dogs of War) who request the mask and other accessories saying that they are fulfilling his last wishes. They explain that there is going to be a memorial ceremony and Xina and Spidey are invited to attend, along with Nostromo.

Meanwhile, Eddie aka Metalhead, is having a nightmare about being converted to a Phalanx. He wakes up and is greeted by Rosa, his girlfriend who apparently just arrived along with her son Joaquim who Eddie has helped raise. Unfortunately, Joaquim is currently in a containment unit and being scanned by Franklin at the behest of Cerebra (who is still cruising around in her Professor X chair) to see if any of the “evil energy” that he was infused with still remains. While Maddie moons over his comatose form, Cerebra waxes poetic about humanity's second chance, and tells Rosa that she wants to give Joaquim the same opportunity. (This scene seems to be leading into a sequel of the Darkson saga from X-Men 2099 #32-35, but fortunately this is the last issue so this plot thread is never picked up again.)

Meanwhile, Dumb and Dumber 2099™ are still on their makeshift raft. Suddenly, Wulff jumps in the ocean. Uproar wonders if the isolation has gotten to his friend and he is committing suicide.

In Latveria, Nostromo is moping about in the woods when Winn approaches him. Nostromo lashes out with a Phalanxized arm, impaling Winn to a tree. It seems Nostromo blames Doom and Winn for everything that happened to him during the Phalanx invasion. Winn tries to explain that Doom knew what he was doing and that everything had to play out the way it did in order for things to work out right. Another of Doom's lackeys show up and cuts their conversation short, inviting Nostromo to Doom's memorial ceremony. While they all start walking, Winn stays behind to talk to Spider-Man who was hiding in a tree the whole time. Winn tries to assuage Miguel's guilt over trying to kill Nostromo last issue but his words don't have much effect.

Finally, it's time for the main event. At the memorial service, the last of the gypsies and Doom's personal guard attach Doom's mask to a circuit board that then projects a holographic image of the Latverian monarch who proceeds to read out his last will and testament, outlining who inherits what...

He calls Xina an ally of the people and says that anything she needs will be provided by the state. He ends this pronouncement with one more out of character admission, “You are the brightest of stars, Xina... in the cosmos or on Earth... I... farewell.”

Then, the hologram makes a gesture and a computer disk shoots out of the circuit board into Miguel's waiting hands. Dooms states it holds the location of his brother Gabriel. He also says, “There is a place of honor for Spider-Man in the Latverian government if you are interested.” Miguel declines, saying he wants to find his brother first.

The hologram then turns to Nostromo and tells him, “You are the closest thing I have ever had to a child of my own... or an heir.” He then goes on to give this rando kid the throne of Latveria, and names Winn as his advisor. The only thing Nostromo can say to this revelation is “Whoa.”

And... Finally, back on the raft Wulff emerges out of the water with a monstrous mollusk / octopus thing in his hands. He tells his friend Uproar, “The Wulff you knew, your bud... I don't know where he is right now. Maybe he's gone for good... maybe not.” Then, he takes off swimming in the direction that he smells land. He tells Uproar there's a boat coming their way that will pick him up, as well. And with a finall farewell they both go their separate ways.

General Comments

Clearly, this issue deals with the immediate aftermath of the Phalanx War saga and was supposed to set the stage for the next story arc. Instead, this was the final farewell for the series as a whole.

Overall Rating

Let's do a little math... Each issue of this series was 48 pages long. That comes out to basically 16 regular comic book issues worth of storytelling space. And after reading through all those pages it is clear that the authors only had half as much story to tell as they did pages to fill up. That's why so much time was spent with side characters such as Strange 2099 and Wulff and Uproar. Honestly, this whole story feels like a rejected X-Men script. It's a real shame that a world that began with such potential ended on such a low point.

Footnote

But is this really the end? Stay tuned for an extra-special, and completely unexpected, second send-off in 2099: Manifest Destiny!